Sheet- and strip-flattening machine adjustable at high speed

ABSTRACT

A FRAME HAS VERTICAL GUIDEWAYS SPACED APART IN A PREDETERMINED HORIZONTAL DIRECTION. TWO CYLINDRICALLY CURVED GUIDE MEMBERS ARE FORMED WITH SURFACES EACH OF WHICH IS AT LEAST A PART OF A SURFACE OR REVOLUTION CENTERED ON A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL AXIS THAT IS TRANSVERSE TO SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION. A YOKE IS DISPOSED BETWEEN AND IN ENGAGEMENT WEITH SAID GUIDEWAYS AND FORMED ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME WITH SURFACES CONFORMING TO AND RESTING ON SAID SURFACES OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS TO SUPPORT SAID YOKE. A SET OF LOWER ROLLS EXTENDING GENERALLY HORIZONTALLY AND TRANSVERSELY TO SAID PREDETERMINED DIRECTION   IS CARRIED BY SAID YOKE. A SADDLE IS MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME FOR VERTICAL ADJUSTMENT. ADJUSTABLE WEDGE MEMBERS CARRY THE TWO GUIDE MEMBERS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID FRAME AND ARE MOUNTED ON SAID SADDLE FOR ADJUSTMENT RELATIVE THERETO IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION AND GENERALLY IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID AXIS. A WEDGE IS INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID SADDLE AND SAID FRAME AND HORIZONTALLY MOVABLE TO ADJUST SAID SADDLE AT HIGH SPEED IN A VERTICAL DIRECTION.

12, 1971 c. MUNCHBACH 5.51 1,774

SHEET-*AND STRIP-FLATTENING MACHINE ADJUSTABLE AT HIGH SPEED Filed Jan. 17, 1969 Fig2 yxigyswa W7 45 INVENI'OQ Cur) Munchbac l ATT United States Patent 01 fice 3,611,774 SHEET- AND STRIP-FLATTENING MACHINE ADJUSTABLE AT HIGH SPEED Curt Munchbach, Pforzheim-Sonnenberg, Germany, assignor to Irma Ungerer, Pforzheim, Germany Filed Jan. 17, 1969, Ser. No. 791,981 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 28, 1968, P 17 52 060.4 Int. Cl. B21d N02 US. Cl. 72-165 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A frame has vertical guideways spaced apart in a predetermined horizonal direction. Two cylindrically curved guide members are formed with surfaces each of which is at least a part of a surface of revolution centered on a generally horizontal axis that is transverse to said predetermined direction. A yoke is disposed between and in engagement with said guideways and formed on opposite sides of said frame with surfaces conforming to and resting on said surfaces of said guide members to support said yoke. A set of lower rolls extending generally horizontally and transversely to said predetermined direction is carried by said yoke. A saddle is mounted in said frame for vertical adjustment. Adjustable, wedge members carry the two guide members on opposite sides of said frame and are mounted on said saddle for adjustment relative thereto in a vertical direction and generally in the direction of said axis. A wedge is interposed between said saddle and said frame and horizontally movable to adjust said saddle at high speed in a vertical direction.

This invention relates to a sheet metaland strip-flattening machine having an adjustable set of lower rolls.

The flattening machine according to the invention comprises a laterally guided yoke, which carries the set of lower rolls and has conforming recesses by which it is mounted on vertically and laterally adjustable guided members which are segments of a cylinder.

Modern flattening machines are required to enable a fast adjustment so that a blocking of the flattening rolls by the lap joints between strip sections or by sheet metal elements of different gage can be avoided since the sets of flattening rolls are moved apart for only a short time. The invention provides simple means for accomplishing this object.

According to the invention, the members for adjusting the guide members are mounted on a saddle, which is adjustable at high speed independently of the adjusting members. The saddle is adjustable at high speed by means or a transverse wedge. In the flattening machine according to the invention, vertical screws are avoided so that the adjustable set of lower rolls is guided snugly and without backlash to effect satisfactory flattening of the sheet metal.

An embodiment of the flattening machine according to the invention is shown by way of example in the drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation showing a flattening machine according to the invention, partly cut away, and

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation showing bearing members of FIG. 1.

The flattening machine has a frame 1 which supports a stationary set 2 of upper horizontal rolls. The set 3 of lower horizontal rolls is carried by a yoke 5, which is guided on both sides by vertical guideways 4 joined by the horizontal base of the frame. The yoke is mounted on Patented Oct. 12, 1971 two guide members 6 only one of which is shown in FIG. 1. Each guide member 6 is an axially horizontally cylindrical segment centered between vertical guideways 4. Each guide members 6 has bottom inclined faces 7 supported on wedges 9 and is vertically adjustable and tiltable by a transverse screw 8. For a vertical adjustment, the transverse screw 8 has screw threads of opposite hand at opposite end portions for moving the wedges 9 toward and apart from each other. Motion is transmitted to the transverse screw 8 from motor 10 by a coupled splined shaft and a hollow shaft 11 via an axial bearing in one side of U-shaped saddle 16.

To tilt the set 3 of lower rolls and the yoke 5, the transverse screw 8 is laterally displaceable to displace the wedges 9. To this end, motion is transmitted to the transverse screw 8 from motor 12 by a screw cooperating with a hollow shaft 13 and an axial bearing 14 in the other side of the .U-shaped saddle 16. The set 3 of lower rolls is tilted in that the yoke 5 is lifted on the operators side or the drive side at the front end of the machine. This is enabled by arcuate guideways 15, which extend around the transverse screw 8 and support the wedges 9.

According to the present invention, each guide member 6 is supported by the wedges 9 for adjusting'the same on the bight of U-shaped saddle 16, which is adjustable at high speed. The saddle 16 supported the wedges 9. Saddle 16 has a lower inclined bottom resting on a transverse wedge 17 slidably mounted on the flat top of the frame base. The saddle is adjustable vertically by transverse wedge 17. The saddle 16 is formed with arcuate guideways 15, which extend around the transverse screw and enable a lateral inclination of the wedges 9. The transverse wedge 17 is adjustable on its supporting slideway at the base of the frame between guideways '4 by a suitable motor 18 of hydraulic or pneumatic type, acting on the wedge 17. The saddle 16 is thus vertically guided on both sides inside guideways 4 of the machine frame.

What is claimed is:

1. A sheet and strip flattening machine, comprising a frame carrying a set of upper rolls and having vertical guideways spaced apart by a frame base in a first horizontal direction, said frame base having a horizontal upper top surface; two guide members each having the form of a cylindrical segment with cylindrically curved upper surface and inclined angularly disposed bottom sides, said guide members being centered on a horizontal axis which is transverse to said first horizontal direction and centered between the guideways; a yoke disposed between and in slidable engagement with said guideways and formed at opposite sides of said frame with concave cylindrically curved bottom surfaces conforming to and resting on the curved upper surfaces of the two guide members; a set of lower rolls extending horizontally transversely to said first horizontal direction and carried by the yoke for operation with the set of upper rolls; two pairs of wedge shaped members carrying the guide members at opposite sides of said frame, each pair of wedge shaped members having upper slanted surfaces respectively slidable engaging the inclined bottom sides of a guide member; a rectangular U-shaped saddle with upstanding sides and horizontal bight disposed inside the frame under the wedge shaped members and arranged for adjusting the same vertically while the wedge shaped members rest on said bight between said sides of the saddle; said saddle having an inclined underside; wedge interposed between the inclined underside of the saddle and the horizontal top of the frame base, said wedge being movable horizontally for adjusting the saddle vertically; two screws extending in said first horizontal direction and respectively threaded into each pair of first named wedge 3 shaped members for moving the wedges of each pair thereof toward and apart from each other, said screws having axial bearings journaled in the upstanding sides of the saddle; and another screw extending in said first horizontal direction and engaged with said Wedge for moving the same horizontally.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the bight MILTON S.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Krynytzky 72-163 Bearer 72163 Maust 72163 Sheilds 721 6 5 X Koch et a1. 72163 Birkle 72-163 X Fornataro 72165 MEHR, Primary Examiner 

